Clutch for tightening winding tube on windup shaft

ABSTRACT

SHEET GOODS ARE CONVENTIONALLY SOLID IN ROLL FORM WHEREIN THE ROLL IS WOUND UPON A HOLLOW TUBE THAT IS OF A LENGTH AND DIAMETER SUCH THAT IT MAY BE FITTED INTO VARIOUS PROCESSING MACHINERY. CONVENTIONAL WINDUP MACHINES FOR THESE ROLL GOODS UTILIZE CLUTCHES AS PIVOTAL TEETH CLUTCH ASSEMBLIES AND SLIDING CABLE CLUTCH ASSEMBLIES TO TIGHTEN THE WINDING TUBE ON THE WINDUP SHAFT DURING THE WINDING OPERATION, THESE DEVICES FREQUENTLY JAM, VERY OFTEN DAMAGE THE INNER SURFACE OF THE WINDING TUBE, AND FREQUENTLY REQUITE ATTENTION. THIS INVENTION IS A ROLLER TYPE CLUTCH FOR MOUNTING ON A WINDUP SHAFT FOR TIGHTENING A WINDING TUBE THERETO THAT PROVIDES JAM-FREE OPERATION, THAT DOES NOT DAMAGE THE WINDING TUBE, AND THAT REQUIRES VERY LITTLE, IF ANY, MAINTENANCE.

Sept. 20, 1971 K. 14. HAHN .6

CLUTCHFOR TIGH'I'ENING WINDING TUBE 0N WINDUP SHAFT .FiledApril 17., 1970 I N VEN '1 UR.

KENNETH H. HAHN ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 242-682 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Sheet goods are conventionally solid in roll form wherein the roll is wound upon a hollow tube that is of a length and diameter such that it may be fitted into various processing machinery. Conventional windup machines for these roll goods utilize clutches as pivotal teeth clutch assemblies and sliding cable clutch assemblies to tighten the winding tube on the windup shaft during the winding operation; these devices frequently jam, very often damage the inner surface of the winding tube, and frequently require attention. This invention is a roller type clutch for mounting on a windup shaft for tightening a winding tube thereto that provides jam-free operation, that does not damage the winding tube, and that requires very little, if any, maintenance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to the field of clutches. More particularly, this invention relates to clutches for windup shafts on sheet good winding machines for tightening a concentrically positioned winding tube thereon.

Description of the prior art Sheet goods such as printed fabrics, calendered films, expanded sheets, supported film, and the like are generally sold to iobbers, retailers, and others in the form of rolls. After the sheet goods have passed through one or more operations such as calendering, printing, embossing, laminating, and the like, there are finally inspected as to width, thickness, fidelity of pattern, and the like, treated and wound into rolls for shipping. These rolls may be anywhere from a few inches to more than 4 feet in diameter and form 18 inches to over 100 inches in width.

Historically, sheet goods were wound directly on the takeup shaft of each processing machine and then unwound and rewound on to the left-off shaft of the next machine; this procedure resulted in a substantial scrap loss at each end of the run of material as well as a waste of time in winding and unwinding. Modern developments have now made conventional the practice of using rigid winding tubes upon which the materials are wound and transported from machine to machine. These tubes are generally made of inexpensive fibrous materials such as cardboard and are slipped over the takeup and let-off shaft of the machine and then the roll and the tube is removed from the shaft and transferred to the next operation. Quite obviously, such an operation decreases the time taken in handling the goods and greatly reduces the amount of scrap. As the customer or next user of the goods has the same or a similar system, i.e. a machine employing winding tubes, he almost always specifies the inside diameter and length of the winding tubes of the roll that is sent to him; for instance, winding tubes are generally specified as 1%, 2 /2", and 3" in inside diameter and from 3 feet to 7 feet in length.

As a specific example of the use of these winding tubes, the windup machine employed at the end of the production process is generally known as a multi-stage (usually 4 or 5 stages) sheet good winder and combines various operations such as inspection, triming, and winding. As these operations generally require intermittent stopping and starting of the windup machine, the torque transmitted from the windup shaft to the winding tube presents several problems and forms the subject of this invention.

To secure or tighten the winding tube on the windup shaft of a sheet good winder, the art has generally used a pivotal tooth clutch and alternatively a sliding cable clutch. A pivotal tooth clutch comprises a rectangular plate positioned longitudinally and almost completely inside a recess in the windup shaft. The plate is pivoted at its ends and is arranged so that the exposed edge thereof can pivot out of therecess into engagement with the inner wall of an overlying or concentrically arranged winding tube. Generally, this elongated side of the pivoted plate is sharpened to form a knife-edge or broad tooth and the clutch is engaged by quickly twisting the windup shaft so that the tooth will swing out through the recess and bite into the inside surface of the winding tube. Continued motion in the direction of twisting will retain the tooth in engagement with the surface of the winding tube whereas stopping the turning motion will cause the pivoted tooth to drop back inside the recess and free the tube. The aforesaid frequent tops and starts encountered in the multistage winding machine and the large torque required to turn the heavy roll of material causes the tooth to continuously bit into the cardboard winding tube and causes the surface thereof to become frayed and heavily damaged after a short While. Further operation of the pivotal tooth clutch causes the tooth to seize in the roughened surface whereupon said tube and overlying roll becomes jammed on the windup and thereby necessitates off-winding of the material onto another roll and interrupting and generally delaying the windup process. In addition, as the sharp edge of the tooth becomes dull from continual use, the tooth fails to bit deep enough into the surface of the winding tube and the windup shaft begins to slip; as the windup shaft in most winding machines is in registry with other elements of the machine, the slippage permits slack to accure in the sheet goods which causes wrinkles, folds, and other damaging configurations within the roll.

The sliding cable clutch assembly comprises a braided metal Wire or cable partially disposed in a complemental recess in the windup shaft. Upon twisting the windup shaft and the winding tube in opposite directions, the cable slides into tight frictional contact with the inner surface of the winding tube. This cable clutch, however, requires constant maintenance inkeeping the cable taut as it tends to stretch and plasticall deform during extended use. Moreover, the braids in the cable loosen and jam between the inner surface of the winding tube and the windup shaft causing the same problems of rewinding the roll onto another winding tube.

This invention is a novel clutch assembly for tightening the winding tube on the windup shaft which comprises a roll bar that rolls into a tight friction fit between the inner surface of the winding tube and the outer surface of the windup shaft, that additionally does not darnage the inner wall of the tube, that operates without slippage, and above all that requires little or no maintenance. The clutch of this invention may be designed to fit all sizes and length of windup shafts and is available for all sizes of winding tubes.

Therefore, the main object of this invention is an improved clutch for tightening winding tubes on windup shafts on multi-stage sheet good winding machines and other machines that utilize winding tubes. Other objects include a clutch that does not damage the inner wall of the winding tube, that is operable without slippage or otherwise causing non-registry of the windup shaft with other machine shafts, that is self-disengaging upon reverse twisting of the windup shaft, and a clutch assembly that is amenable to fit all diameters and lengths of windup shafts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention concerns a clutch for tightening a winding tube on a windup shaft comprising a longitudinal recess in the surface of the windup shaft formed by a flat land and a narrower, substantially perpendicular adjacent wall, a cylindrical roller bar complementally received in the recess and having a diameter of between about 15 to about 20 thousandths of an inch greater than the height of the wall so that the roller bar engages the inner surface of an overlying winding tube in rolling contact and rolls into a tight friction fit between the winding tube and the windup shaft upon twisting the windup shaft in a direction that causes the roll bar to roll away from the wall, a plurality of narrower diameter journals spaced along the roller bar, and means receiving the journals for retaining the roller bar in sliding and rotating contact with the land.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a typical windup shaft and shows the novel clutch of this invention positioned thereon.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 22 in FIG. 1 and, in addition, shows a winding tube positioned thereover.

FIGS. 3 and 3A show one form of the means receiving the journals for retaining the roller bar in sliding and rotating contact with the land.

FIGS. 4 and 4A show another embodiment of the means receiving the journals for retaining the roller bar in sliding and rotating contact with the land.

FIGS. 5 and 5A show still another embodiment of the means receiving the journals for retaining the roller bar in sliding and rotating contact with the land.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT This invention concerns a clutch for use with winding tubes and windup shafts. Winding tubes are generally made of cardboard or other fibrous material and are made from 1" to more than 3" in diameter and from a few feet to more than feet in length. The windup shafts to which this invention may be applied include the windup shafts of virtually all sheet good winding machines, including such machines as calenders, printing machines, embossing machines, laminating machines, apron driers, and multi-stage sheet good winding machines. The novel clutch of this invention may be applied to all these machines and to windup shafts of a wide range of diameters and lengths.

Referring particularly to the drawings wherein like parts are designated by like numbers of reference throughout the eight figures, FIG. 1 shows a typical windup shaft with one embodiment of the novel clutch of this invention positioned thereon. As is shown in the drawing, the windup shaft is generally indicated at 1 and comprises an elongated shaft 3 having square or rectangular support/drive journals 5 at both ends thereof. Shaft 3 is generally made of a strong metal such as steel or steel alloy,

however, where light weight is desired, it may be made of aluminum, titanium, or other like metal and in addition be hollow. Support/drive journals 5 are generally rectangular or of some other geometric cross-section and fit into similar shaped receptacles in the windup machine; said journals may be made of the same material as shaft 3, however, due to their prime mover feature they are generally high strength materials such as steel.

Positioned somewhere along the surface of shaft 3, and preferably at or near the midpoint thereof, is one embodiment of the novel clutch of this invention and is generally indicated at 7. Clutch assembly 7 is shown here comprising a longitudinal recess 9 formed by flat land 11 and narrower substantially perpendicular adjacent wall 13 and terminated by end walls 15. Longitudinal recess 9 may be formed by casting shaft 3 such as to form recess 9 during the casting process or by machining, grinding, or other forming processes. Flat land 11 is the wider of the two surfaces (land 11 and wall 13) and should be substantially smooth to permit smooth enagement of clutch 7. Adjacent wall 13 is narrower and substantially perpendicular to fiat land 11; although the angle between the two may vary, such as from about 70 to it is desired that wall 13 be within a few degrees of perpendicular to land 11 to allow cylindrical roller bar 17 to rest against it without being pinched or forced out of contact with land 11. In adidtion, wall 13 should be substantially flat to permit smooth disengagement of clutch 7 and be narrower than land 11. As a typical example, for a 3 inch diameter windup shaft land 11 should be about two inches wide and wall 13 should be /8 of an inch high. Preferably, the plane of wall 13 should lie on a radius of shaft 3 so that land 11 is six to twelve times wider than wall 13. The plane of wall 13 may be displaced either side of a radius of shaft 3, however, roller bar 17, as will be described later, should be disposed in recess 9 so that its outer surface is at a minimum of between about 15 to about 20 thousandths of an inch above the surface of shaft 3 for the purpose of engaging the inner wall of an overlying winding tube. Geometrically this means that the place of adjacent wall 13 should be near a radius of shaft 3 to permit roller bar 17 to reach its minimum protrusion when adjacent to wall 13.

Complementally received in recess 9 and resting on land 11 is a cylindrical roller bar 17 which comprises a round shaft having a plurality of narrower diameter ournals 19 shown here at each end thereof. Journals 19 are narrower diameter than roller bar 17 to prevent interference with the frictional fit of bar 17 with the inner surface of a winding tube. Shoulder 20, formed between ournal 19 and roller bar 17, restrains bar 17 from longitudinal displacement along shaft 3 by abutting restraint from means 27 (to be described in detail later). As is further illustrated in FIG. 2, roller bar 17 rests against wall 13 to present the smallest protrusion above the surface of shaft 3 and, upon twisting windup shaft 3 in a direction that causes roller bar 17 to roll away from wall 13, shown by arrows 21, roller bar 17 rolls along land 11 away from wall 13 into a tight friction fit between the inner wall 23 of overlaying winding tube 25, shown by the dotted outline of bar 17 and tube 25. The length of roller bar 17 may vary from a few inches up to the total length of shaft 3. It has been found, however, that for this novel clutch to function adequately, roller bar 17 need not be more than 18" to 24" in total length regardless of the length of shaft 3. Roller bar 17 may be made of a wide ifilge of hard materials such as aluminum, steel and the A meritorious aspect of clutch 7 is that roller bar 17 is cylindrical so that it freely rolls into a tight friction fit with inner surface 23 of winding tube 25. The other aforementioned clutches either bite into surface 23, causing both damage to the surface and to the sliding member (aforementioned cable). In the instant invention, bar 17 rolls into contact with surface 23 neither causing damage to the surface nor unbraiding or otherwise causing damage to itself. In addition, the free rolling nature of bar 17 eliminates slippage between bar 17 and surface 23 thereby providing better functionality of the clutch. The surface of roll bar 17 may be smooth or in various grades of roughness however, roughness is not required as the conventional surface roughness of surface 23 of windup tube 25 is usually sufiicient to insure adequate frictional contact with bar 17. Therefore, roll bar 17 may have a standard, i.e., 760, machine finish for all but special purposes.

At each end of roller bar 17 as shown in FIG. 1 are means generally indicated as 27 receiving journals 19 for retaining roller bar 17 in sliding and rotating contact with land 11. As shown in FIG. 1 and as further shown in FIGS. and 5A, means 27 comprises a leaf spring 29 having an end 31 rigidly mounted to land 11 by bolt, machine screw or other concentional means 33 and having a flexible pawl-shaped body 35 that latches over journal 19 and retains journal 19 therein to prevent roller bar 17 from falling out of recess 9. During engagement of roller bar 17 with inner wall 23 of winding tube 25, pawlshaped body 35 flexes upward and permits journal 19 to move forward, i.e. away from adjacent wall 13, so that roller bar 17 will engage winding tube 25 evenly or parallel to its central axis.

Other embodiments of means 27 for receiving journals 19 for retaining roller bar 17 in sliding and rotating contact with land 11 is shown in FIGS. 3, 3A, 4, and 4A. In FIGS. 3 and 3A means 27 is shown to comprise base plate 37 containing enclosed slot 39, wherein the long axis of slot 39 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of roller bar 17 and wherein plate 37 is mounted in sliding engagement with land 11 by a machine screw, bolt, or other retaining means 41 that is positioned in slot 39 and that has an overlapping top or head to prevent plate 37 from falling out of recess 9. Enclosed bearing 43 is integral with or otherwise rigidly fixed to base plate 37 for receipt of journal 19. Base plate 37 is connected through enclosed bearing 43 to roller bar 17 and retains roller bar 17 in sliding and rotating contact with land 11. During engagement of clutch 7, roller bar 17 engages inner wall 23 of winding tube 25 and rolls into tight friction fit therewith and base plate 37 simultaneously slides away from wall 13 through the interaction of slot 39 and retaining means 41; upon disengagement of the clutch, base plate 37 slides back toward wall 13 permitting roller bar 17 to roll toward wall 13 thereby relieving the frictional contact between windup shaft 11 and winding tube 25.

FIGS. 4 and 4A show still another embodiment of means 27 and comprises base plate 45 that is rigidly mounted to land 11 by retaining means 47 which may be a bolt, machine screw, or other conventional anchoring device. Base plate 45 contains slotted bearing 49 which is shown as an extension of plate 45 in the form of an enclosed C-shaped strip or which be a separate piece rigidly fixed thereto. Slotted bearing 49 receives journal 19 and permits roller bar 17 to move against and away from wall 13 on land 11. The end portions of bearing 49 are arranged close enough to wall 13 to preclude dropping out of journal 19 between wall 13 and the ends thereof when windup shaft 1 is rotated through 360 without overlying winding tube 25.

The diameter of roller bar 17 should be between about to about thousandths of an inch greater than the height of wall 13 so that the top surface of bar 17 always protrudes above the surface of windup shaft 1. This will cause roller bar 17 to engage inner wall 23 of winding tube upon slipping tube 25 thereover. If the diameter of roller bar 17 is less than about 15 thousandths of an inch greater than the height of wall 13, roller bar 17 may fail to engage inner wall 23 and the clutch assembly may slip and cause winding tube 25 to fall out of registry with windup shaft 1. Conversely, winding tubes are generally made with an inside diameter about 20 thousandths of an inch greater than the nominal outside diameters of standard windup shafts, therefore the maximum protrusion of cylindrical roll bar 17 should not be greater than about 20 thousandths of an inch to prevent an interference fit between windup shaft 1 and winding tube 25 and to allow winding tube 25 to be easily slipped onto and off of shaft 1.

Although roller bar 17 is shown in the drawings to contain narrower diameter journals 19 at each end thereof, roller bar 17 may contain narrower diameter journals at different locations along its length such as, for instance, in a long roller bar, i.e. 4 feet long or more, journals 19 could be spaced at 1 foot intervals along bar 17 and in short roller bars, i.e. 12 inches or less, only one journal may be located at the midpoint of bar 17. If support journals 19 are not located at the ends of roller bar 17, means 27 should be partially counter sunk in land 11 to avoid interference with the surface of roll bar 17 and journals 19 may be elongated to span the full width of means 27.

What is claimed is:

1. A clutch for tightening a winding tube on a windup shaft comprising:

(a) a longitudinal recess in the surface of said windup shaft for-med by a fiat land and a narrower, substantially perpendicular adjacent wall;

(b) a cylindrical roller bar complementally received in said recess and having a diameter between about 15 to about 20 thousandths of an inch greater than the height of said wall so that said bar will engage the inner surface of an overlying winding tube in rolling contact with said land and will roll into a tight friction fit between said winding tube and said windup shaft upon twisting said windup shaft in a direction that causes said roller bar to roll away from said wall;

(c) a plurality of narrower diameter journals spaced along said roller bar; and,

(d) means receiving said journals for retaining said roller bar in sliding and rotating contact with said land wherein said means comprise:

(1) a base plate containing an enclosed slot wherein the long axis of said slot is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said roller bar;

(2) means disposed in said slot to mount said base plate in sliding contact with said land; and,

(3) an enclosed bearing on said base plate for receiving said journal in rotating contact therewith.

2. -A clutch for tightening a winding tube on a windup shaft comprising:

(a) a longitudinal recess in the surface of said windup shaft for-med by a fiat land and a narrower, substantially perpendicular adjacent wall;

(b) a cylindrical roller bar complementally received in said recess and having a diameter between about 15 to about 20 thousandths of an inch greater than the height of said wall so that said bar will engage the inner surface of an overlying winding tube in rolling contact with said land and will roll into a tight friction fit between said winding tube and said windup fit between said winding tube and said windup shaft upon twisting said windup shaft in a direction that causes said roller bar to roll away from said wall;

(0) a plurality of narrower diameter journals spaced along said roller bar; and,

(d) means receiving said journals for retaining said roller bar in sliding and rotating contact with said land wherein said means comprise a base plate rigidly mounted on said land and formed into a C-shaped slotted bearing for receipt of said journal in rotating and sliding contact therewith.

3. A clutch for tightening a winding tube on a windup shaft comprising:

(a) a longitudinal recess in the surface of said windup shaft formed by a fiat land and a narrower, substantially perpendicular adjacent Wall;

(b) a cylindrical roller bar complementally received in said recess and having a diameter between about '15 to about 2'0 thousandths of an inch greater than the height of said 'wall so that said bar will engage the inner surface of an overlying winding tube in rolling contact with said land and will roll into a tight friction fit between said winding tube and said windup shaft upon twisting said windup shaft in a direction that causes said roller bar to roll away from said wall;

(c) a plurality of narrower diameter journals spaced along said roller bar; and,

(d) means receiving said journals for retaining said roller bar in sliding and rotating contact with said land wherein said means comprise a leaf spring having one end thereof rigidly mounted to said land and being pawl-shaped to engage and retain said journal in rolling and sliding contact against said land.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ALLAN D. HERRMANN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Pate 3 2 ated September 20, 191i Inventor) Kenneth H. Hahn It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 12, the word "solid" should read --sold--. Column 1, line 16, the phrase "clutches as" should read --clutches such as--.

Column 1, line 37, the phrase supported film" should read --supported films-.

Column 18 line &6, the phrase "form 18 inches" should read ---from 1 inches--.

Column 1, line 49, the phrase "leftoff shaft" should read -let-off shaft--.

Column 1, line 65, the phrase "winding tubes" should read -winding tube--.

Column 2, line 31, the phrase "frequent tops" should read -frequent stops--.

Column 2, line 3 the phrase "bit into the" should read -bite into the--.

Column 2, line 39, the phrase "windup and" should read --windup shaft and--.

Column 2, line &3, the phrase "to bit deep" should read --to bite deep--.

Column 2, line &7, the phrase "to secure" should read --to accrue--.

Column 3, line 4, the phrase "and length of" should read -and lengths of--.

Signed and sealed this 23rd day of May 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK l-Attesting Officer Commis ioner of Patents J 

